Contents
1) Introduction
2) Deck
3) Age 1
4) Build Orders
5) Match Ups
1) Introduction
Arriving with the last DLC, Malta is a very particular civ but is distinguished above all by their powerful crossbow pike, a very cheap army with a powerful eco thanks to wignacourt and german tongue Malta is a civ too often under estimated but also intense in term of macro and not easy to play
This guide is for players who would like a good base to start with Malta and I hope it helps
2) Deck
1v1 Deck
1v1 water
1v1 eco
1v1 IV
3) Age 1
16 vills age up with tp and market hunting dogs
This age 1 is for german tongue strat, treasures are important for this age 1
after collecting your crates build a market asap and try to find coin or wood treasures and if not gather the 25 coin, buy 100w and build your tp, after gathered 100w make a house and start to chop for hunting dogs
With good macro you should be able to click the 400 wood age up at 3min05 with 16 vills without idle, if you idle a lil is fine but 3min10 should be the maximum
This age 1 is intense in term of macro and scouting, that's why I recommend for new malta players to just practice a bit this age 1 in singleplayer
In transition you have to gather 550 wood for german tongue and 1 house so get gang saw and after that put all your vills on wood except 1 or 2 for start to herd the hunt, german tongue can be late sometimes but this is normal without wood treasure, also sometimes you got many coin treasures so in that case you can aslo chop for have 126 or 127 coin in bank and buy 100w with it, it's worth it
15 vills age up with market hunting dogs
This age 1 is for rush double rax xbow pike
This age 1 is a lot easier than the previous one, all you have to do is to chop 50w for hunting dogs, with good macro you click the 400 wood age up with 15 vills without idle, sometimes 14 vills with food treasure ( can idle 10 secs maximum with a 14 vills age up )
In transition chop the 125 coin for steel straps and send 2 vills forward, let some vills on food for herd and for future army batch and put 7-8 vills on wood
4) Build Orders
Rush double rax xbow pike
After reaching age 2 build 2 rax in the middle of the map get steel straps and build a house, send 700w first and start your first crossbow pike batch, if opponent start barrack just start xbow, if opponent start stable then just start pike, if you not scouted or up faster than your opponent then train a batch of 5 crossbows and 5 pikes, keep training xbow pike again and again
2nd card is 600w for keep massing
3rd card is 8 pikes or 8 crossbows depend what you need and keep spamming xbow pike into the next military shipment as the 4th cards
in general after that you start to send upgrades cards for xbow pike or wignacourt, or can also send jerusalem card and get many wood and coin if your card is worth it ( minimum 1000 ress ) and if not 700c is also a good option, if you send jerusalem card or 700coin you build a commandery and start making huss, in a lot of case a small transi huss win the game if you made enough damage
German tongue timing
After reaching age 2 build a rax in base, send 700w and start training settlers wagons, start to train 5 pikes or 5 xbows if you scouted a forward rax, try to let 2 vills on coins just for gather 125 coin ( steel straps later )
700w is for house more xbow pike church steel straps and more settlers wagons
2nd card you send wignacourt and keep training settlers wagons and xbow pike
3th card is 600w for a second rax and more army, if you are under pressure instead send 8 xbows or 8 pikes
after that you want to start making cav and push your opponent so you need to send 700c as 4th card, the other option is also to remacro your vills after the 3th shipment on food and coin for your huss ( let some vills on wood tho ), in that case send army instead, this is more intensive macro but better
At this point your eco should be insane with wignacourt and SW, you can outmass hard if your opponent decide to go age 3, don't be afraid to play a bit age 2 really
5th card is in general jerusalem card and age up or keep massing, if you keep massing train a lot of huss pikes more than xbows ( unless opponent make many goons or musk )
If you choose to age up ( TC if you are safe or 8xbow or 4 hospitalier if you expect a push from your opponent ) you have to send Hospitality card if you can, if your age up is already on the 2/3 it's not worth it
German tongue timing into IV
Pretty much same build than the previous one, but instead to keep massing you age up with jerusalem card, after reaching age 3 if you need army then send army, if not just 1kcoin and up with free guard pikes and cheaper guard xbows, this strats is moslty for get guard huss if you have lot of huss and 24 xbows/pikes shipment with cheaper techs so in transi make huss in priority
In general you are age 4 around 12 min
German tongue sentinels or huss start
After you gathered your 550w for german tongue and a house put instantly your vills on food and coin, the 400w from age up is for one settler wagon one rax and one house and start to train huss or sentinels ( if your huss batch is not 5 this is normal in general i make a batch of 4, tho the sentinels batch should be 5 with good macro )
As 1th shipment you send 700w for more settlers wagons placer mine steel straps house and rax ( 2nd rax if you play around sentinels )
as 2nd shipment you send wignacourt, keep massing sentinels or huss depend what you need ( hard to make both of them )
as 3rd shipment generally you either 600w for starting to make xbows or pikes and massing, or either if you want to just age because you are safe then you can just 700c and age, if you age then you have to send the hospitality card ( not worth it if your age up is already on 2/3 )
With sentinels play i recommend to build a depot in base, it's decrease their ROF at 2.70 ( same for commandery )
Also this kind of strat is good vs ff musk timing aka spain for exemple and such, if you face falc or many skirm archer for exemple just garrison your huss on the commandery and ungarrison them when you want to timing for defend your base, it's create a good pop with mm and potentially unit shipment
Tips
Never ff, you gain nothing to ff except a fixed guns, you are slow and no falc shipment, if you play vs ff or semi ff civ just outmass age 2 this is your best chance
Depots are so good, if you want to gain time build some depots, especially in base ( opponent can't go under your TC with depot in base )
Steel Bolts card is the priority age 3
Always build a depot next to your fixed guns
Jerusalem card is really good for make artillery age 3
Prefere to make commandery instead to outpost is mid game for secure the hunt mine etc, useful for the Knight of Rhodes card, and also for teleporting vills or army in case
5) Match Ups :
This mu should be close, in general fre want to play some age 2 or FF and poke you with skirm
Recommended build : German tongue timing
This mu is quite hard for Malta but not unwinnable, you have to start sentinels and kill the tower with 10 sentinels, build some depot and gain some time and playing around sentinels huss and defend the falc timing, after that you kinda need to age for vet unit, if you can do that without too many damage then you should be fine
Recommended Build : German tongue sentinels start
Mu seems close, a good timing generally work vs dutch, make lot of huss in age 2 if you can after all dutch has only pike as anti cav, age 3 play can also work but only if you get steel bolt quickly this is the priority
Recommended build : German tongue timing, German tongue huss start
This mu is quite hard just because of lb, sentinel play can work if brit play musk huss, kinda need a depot in front of your base otherwise lb constantly poke you, can also rush them but only on map where you can contain them, if brit has lot of ress in base then it's hard
Age 4 play can work if brit is a little passive, guard huss and cheaper guard bow pike + artillery shipment is quite good
Recommended build : German tongue timing, German tongue huss start,German tongue timing into IV, Rush double rax xbow pike
Hard MU i'd say, in general germany want to timing age 2 xbow pike uhlan or just FF skirm uhlan ( sometimes falc uhlan ), for sure germany get more mass than you early on so you can't rush them, german tongue is surely the way but personnally i'd forward a bit my commandery for get more map, the idea is clearly to play age 2 and outmass hard because uhlan even vet just lose to pike huss and ww get killed by your xbow and they are easily snipable, so in priority pike huss and only enough xbow for 1 shooting ww, don't try to age too early or you lose against the classic germany tempo early age 3, tho if you are age 3 without many damage and steel bolt in then you won, your army is simply better and cheaper
In age 2 you want to crush your opponent's army no need to push his base, germany will push you anyways he can't just sit and wait, tho scout if your opponent make a foundry somehow because in that case you can expect a falc uhlan push and it can be hard to defend
Recommended build : German tongue timing
Hard mu too when port 10/10 organ ff, this is just hard to defend and when you can port has 3TC behind with feitorias anyways, so you have to defend and age because you need steel bolt for siege, just hard... and the rush is not enough because 10/10 port ff is just too fast
Recommended build : German tongue timing
Mu is hard just because of abus gun vs crossbows... Otto also has strong timing and can even 5 spahis at 7min30 in your base or FI and guard spahis vs your pike, kinda need to make depot for gain some time and maybe age but jan falc into abus is really good, not sure how malta can win otto tbh
I'd try somehow to survive until age 3 and 1k coin for age 4 with a fixed guns depot in base, guard xbow pike with 3 culv in deck can be good I think
Recommended build : German tongue timing into IV, German tongue timing
I think this mu is quite close I think, not sure if russia can win Malta with steel bolt in and combat card for them, suvorov is defo hard to stop tho
I'd just defend my base while booming and age, can just play full age 2 if you are low on food imo, what is sure is Malta huss are very good vs russia
Recommended build : German tongue timing, German tongue huss or sentinels start
Mu is close as long is if it's age 2, age 3 this is kinda hard for Malta to beat early mahout, so you have to win age 2, pushing india base always risky due to otto cons and mm and pushing forward agra can work but only if you are sure india age, xbow pike huss seems the way vs india
I'd just german tongue and play a bit age 2 and timing because india kinda want to age for mahout so making lot of damage age 2 is defo an option, tho you have a small window, you can also play this mu age 3 but you need steel bolt asap, age 4 is defo an option too
Recommended build : German tongue timing, German tongue into IV
This mu should be good for Malta, you can rush Japan if japan is greedy tho you'll need huss quite quickly because yumi can kite your xbow, playing german tongue is defo the safest way for me, you can just outmass hard japan age 2 sieging shrines with better eco and more mass and cheap unit or just age and get steel bolt, this card is just a nightmare for japan, they can also rush sometime with ashi nagi and daymio, if you scout that sentinels xbows is the play, sentinels are just better than ashi especially in your base
Recommended build : German tongue timing, Rush xbow pike
I think this mu is quite close, china like to play a bit age 2 and shipping 7 steppes for killing tps and raiding a bit and age, not sure if China age 2 can win Malta age 2 tho so they kinda need to play this age 3, so this is your window, a good timing xbow pike into huss lil later is always good, for sure you can't be passive vs china you have to harrass your opponent and not letting him to mass otherwise you lose, rushing china is defo an option too
Never sentinels vs china, xbow pike huss should be the comp here tho starting huss is not bad at all when china ship 7 steppes first
Recommended build : German tongue timing, Rush xbow pike, German tongue huss start
Not played too often this mu but i think this is hard for Malta here, you can rush lakota if you scout an FF for sure, if lakota forward base and push then you have to play around german tongue, what is sure is you can play a full age 2 vs lakota but lakota can't, they won early on but not after you get some card for your army, so they have to age at some point, in this case you have to age you too unless your mass is a lot higher than your opponent so in that case push and win, if you decide to age then i recommend to make goons and not pike because if your opponent make Rifle Rider you are in trouble unless he not play them which is good for you
Recommended build : German tongue timing, Rush xbow pike
This mu is quite hard i'd say but not unwinnable, age 3 your army is simply better with steel bolt even if its haud just because your eco is lot better and cheaper army, so haud will play this age 2 or timing FF, age 2 this is hard to defend a good haud push aenna are not bad vs crossbow and the crackshot is good vs xbow pike, i'd defo play this mu around german tongue xbow pike huss, I know haud struggle a bit in big fight vs this comp, if haud ff then a good timing xbow pike huss win the game
Recommended build : German tongue timing
On paper this mu is kinda hard for Malta and it is, azzy can just WP boom and age into shipping skull knight with BB and decimate everything you have on your push so be careful, if azzy rush then you have to play it with german tongue and defend your base, can skip some settler wagons for an another rax instead and more unit, azzy is low in eco when they rush and you have wignacourt, your eco is better, age 3 your army is simple better with steel bolt and combat card
Recommended build : German tongue timing
On paper this mu is good for malta, but only on paper, your only window is the first 10 min, this is where you outmass hard inca and can make lot of damage, after that inca army simply better because of chasqui spamm chimu better pike and decent bow, even tho your army is cheaper inca army is also big, bolas are quite insane vs double melee comp and they snare
So i'd play this with german tongue classic timing or just double rax rush, if inca age up at 4min10-15 then this is kinda hard for the rush to work because inca can simply build a wharhut in transi ship 2 and then 3 wharhut in base, timing you outmass and you can kill building and make lot of damage if inca age, tho you need to know what inca doing if many bow or many chimu, in general just start bow pike into huss when inca transi to chimu
If inca ff then you need to kill tps and catch up the fort wagon ( thats why your army is sieging tps and not in inca base ), if inca build his fort in base then you just age get steel bolt contain and age 4, only way
Age 3 vs age 3 inca army just better
Recommended build : German tongue timing, German Tongue Timing into IV, Rush xbow pike
Pretty good mu for malta i'd say unless if italy ff musk falc into cav shipment age 3, can be hard to hold that so you need to scout what italy doing, if ff then the german tongue sentinel start is quite good but you can't really outmass italy because they up with 9 musk or 11 bows, that's why you need depot and make a good timing whith your huss ( ungarrison them from the commandery ), if italy play age 2 then the sentinel start into xbow is safe, I prefere to sentinels instead to pike because in general italy just go for musk cav age 2 or playing with the shiavone crabat shipment and in these case pike are useless, but if its age 2 vs age 2 malta just win I think
And if italy age 4 then just play greedy yourself and age 4 yourself, can also timing but risky imo, in late game malta is simply better, this is safe imo
Recommended build : German tongue timing, German Tongue sentinels start, German Tongue Timing into IV
In mirror i like to start cav because you idle your opponent a lot and with wignacourt + settler wagon this is quite nice, also you are mobile and can catch the opponent explo, it's quite important actually because he is tanky, tho you can also just play it standard like starting xbow pike into huss timing, can also double rax rush if you expect a german tongue play from your opponent
This mirror is actually not that bad tbh, you can play it in several different ways actually, can even start sentinels and play it like xbow sentinels huss, quite costly but better than pike
Recommended build : German tongue timing, German Tongue sentinels or huss start, German Tongue Timing into IV, xbow pike rush
Close MU i'd say but in general I just play it with german tongue xbow pike huss, starting pike for stop the raider start into xbow and huss later is good, tho your opponent will mass more fulani quickly so you need depot in front of your base, I know hausa struggle vs xbow pike huss so this is the way, never make sentinels vs hausa tho you can start huss, this is not that bad for crush the first raider batch, the double rax xbow pike rush never worked for me tho
Recommended build : German tongue timing, German Tongue huss start, German Tongue Timing into IV
This mu is quite close i'd say, the double rax rush just doesn't work vs ethiopia because ethiopia can get 7 canoneers shipment or 10 dervish shipment with shotel and it's crush this, so german tongue is the way, also ethiopia can ff gascenya mortar and this is kinda hard to stop it so again you need depot for gain some times and crush his army with ungarrison surprise, making sentinels is quite good vs ethiopia and prob better than making pike unless you want to timing, if ethiopia play it age 2 then sentinels start is clearly safe and better than pike imo, can boom and age safely, your sentinels are unkillable in your base for ethiopia if you mass them correctly, so ye the only thing really scary for Malta is that ethiopia FF, kinda hard to stop
Recommended build : German tongue timing, German Tongue huss or sentinels start, German Tongue Timing into IV
Pretty close mu i think, in general mexico want to pressure malta but their skirm can't kill your xbow so i don't see how they can work, tho mexico can FF and falc quite fast with soldadoes and this is kinda scary for Malta cuz soldadoes are beast vs your huss, so if your opponent protect well his falc you pretty much can't stop that push, so if you scout an ff you have to push your self and make damage before by killing tp and a potentially forward haciendas and maybe a house or smth, mexico can also just revo and musk falc too, tho they are not soldadoes so it's easier to kill them which is good for you, as long as you survive ofthe first mexico push i think this is good for you, Malta army is just better
Recommended build : German tongue timing
This mu is quite hard i'd say, USA has several ways of playing it and it's not your case, in general USA just want to play this age 3 or semi with spanish immigrant or Chinese immigrant, so ye this is quite hard, in any case sharpshooter are just a great unit vs Malta especially early on when malta is still age 2, rush xbow pike could work if opponent FF, german tongue and playing that full age 2 and outmassing hard your opponent can work but you have to control well your unit because 3 gatling is scary, if opponent do sort of aggro ff then 1 depot and garrisoning your huss and timing is the best way, depot is quite important because USA ff is quite fast so you need to slow them a lil
Recommended build : German tongue timing, rush xbow pike
I think this mu is quite good for Malta, you can just rush sweden with double rax xbow pike and their only defence are 2 leathers or skirm shipment but it's costly, all you need is to not let sweden boom for free and make infinite caro falc, as long as you stay age 2 i think it's fine unless sweden massed lot of leathers which is not good for you, can also play it with german tongue xbow pike huss timing but you kinda need to be more aggro, if german tongue i'd play this with huss start and catch their vills on the mines
Steel bolt is a deadly card for swe, can play it age 3 and make 2 culv tho do not let swe age 4, it can be scary
Recommended build : German tongue timing huss start, rush xbow pike
